June 07, 2006

In furtherance of the President's Management Agenda, in Fiscal Year 2006, NSF has identified programs that will offer proposers the option to utilize Grants.gov to prepare and submit proposals. Grants.gov provides a single Government-wide portal for finding and applying for Federal grants online.

Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system.

In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following:

1. All collaborative proposals must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system. This includes collaborative proposals submitted:

• by one organization (and which includes one or more subawards); or
• as separate submissions from multiple organizations;

Proposers are advised that collaborative proposals submitted in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov will be requested to be withdrawn and proposers will need to resubmit these proposals via the NSF FastLane system. (Chapter II, Section D.3 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative proposals.)

2. All Other Types of Proposals That Contain Subawards. All other types of proposals that contain one or more subawards also must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system. (Chapter II, Section C.2.g.(vi)(e) of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on subawards.)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE ANTARCTIC RESEARCH SOLICITATION

FY 07 Funding

Relative to past years, available funding for FY 07 is lower because some program funds will be reserved for IPY projects that result from special IPY competitions, such as the International Polar Year solicitation (NSF 06-534).

Proposal requiring antarctic fieldwork

1. To request field support, use the Polar Ice worksheets as instructed in the Proposal Preparation Section of this solicitation. You must finish this substantial task before you submit your proposal to NSF. Prospective investigators are advised to start the worksheets 2 weeks or more before proposal submission.
2. To confirm to NSF that field support is not required, use the no-fieldwork worksheet described in the Proposal Preparation Section.
3. An antarctic proposal that does not contain fieldwork worksheets or the no-fieldwork worksheet is subject to return without review.
4. Use this Antarctic Research solicitation with the NSF-wide Grant Proposal Guide or the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide.

Antarctic Research
Aeronomy & Astrophysics, Biology & Medicine, Geology & Geophysics, Ocean & Climate Sciences, Glaciology, Environmental Research, Interdisciplinary Research

Scientific research, and operational support of that research, are the principal activities supported by the United States Government in Antarctica. The goals are to expand fundamental knowledge of the region, to foster research on global and regional problems of current scientific importance, and to use Antarctica as a platform from which to support research. For projects involving fieldwork, the U.S. Antarctic Program supports only that research that can be done exclusively in Antarctica or that can be done best from Antarctica. The program also supports analytical research performed at home organizations.

Planning is underway for the International Polar Year, 2007-2009, with NSF designated as the lead agency for the United States. NSF recently released the solicitation "International Polar Year" (NSF 06-534), which focuses on specific emphases areas in science, education, and outreach. However, IPY-relevant proposals (as outlined in the National Academy of Science vision document, http://www.us-ipy.org) that are outside these emphasis areas may be submitted to this Antarctic Research solicitation. Additional information concerning other NSF IPY-related funding opportunities is available at https://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/ipy/ipyinfo.jsp. For information concerning other Federal agencies and their IPY programs, please go to the U.S. government interagency IPY site at http://www.us-ipy.gov/.

 

Scientific research, and operational support of that research, are the principal activities supported by the United States Government in Antarctica. The goals are to expand fundamental knowledge of the region, to foster research on global and regional problems of current scientific importance, and to use Antarctica as a platform from which to support research. For projects involving fieldwork, the U.S. Antarctic Program supports only that research that can be done exclusively in Antarctica or that can be done best from Antarctica. The program also supports analytical research performed at home organizations.

The program has been in continuous operation since the 1957-1958 International Geophysical Year; continuation into the foreseeable future is anticipated. U.S. activities in Antarctica support the Nation's adherence to the Antarctic Treaty, which reserves the region for peaceful purposes and encourages international cooperation in scientific research. At present, 45 nations adhere to the treaty, and 29 of them are involved in antarctic field activities. The United States cooperates scientifically and operationally with many of the Antarctic Treaty nations.

The National Science Foundation funds and manages the U.S. Antarctic Program, which supports research in the areas described in Section II.

INTERNATIONAL POLAR YEAR (IPY)

The international community of polar researchers and funding agents has begun planning for an International Polar Year (IPY) to take place March 2007-March 2009 (see http://dels.nas.edu/us-ipy and http://www.ipy.org). A special solicitation (International Polar Year, NSF 06-534), relating to IPY and focused on the thematic areas of 1) polar ice sheet history and dynamics; 2) frontiers of polar biology in the polar night; 3) an arctic observing network; and 4) educational outreach has been released by the Foundation. In addition, data management activities are also part of this special IPY solicitation. Pending the availability of funds in FY 2007 and beyond, NSF anticipates revising the FY 06 IPY solicitation or issuing a new IPY solicitation.

Proposals to perform activities related to planning or execution of the IPY that are outside of the emphasis areas in NSF 06-534 may be submitted to programs in the Antarctic Sciences Section under this program solicitation (the Antarctic Research solicitation, NSF 06-549). The proposed activities should be consistent with program goals described in this solicitation. Additional review criteria apply to IPY proposals. See Section VI ("Additional Review Criteria") of this solicitation.

Information about other NSF IPY opportunities is available at https://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/ipy/ipyinfo.jsp.

Aeronomy and astrophysics

The polar regions have been called Earth's window to outer space. This term originally applied to study of the aurora and other phenomena related to interaction of solar plasmas and fields. In this context the polar upper atmosphere is a screen on which the results of such interactions can be viewed and through which other evidence of space physics processes can pass. Today, this concept of Earth's polar atmosphere as a window also includes research in other fields. With discovery of polar stratospheric ozone depletions, a window previously thought "closed" (the ultraviolet window) is now known to "open" in certain seasons. In astronomy and astrophysics, favorable atmospheric conditions and the unique location of the South Pole enable scientists to use this window to probe the structure of the Sun and the Universe with unprecedented precision. Antarctica's deep, clear ice sheet also is a window, providing a medium for detection of neutrinos that pass through Earth, and a neutrino detector is being installed in the ice sheet at the South Pole.

The Aeronomy and Astrophysics Program supports studies of three major domains:

• the stratosphere and the mesosphere. Current research focuses on stratospheric chemistry and aerosols, particularly in the context of the ozone hole. The polar stratosphere is expected to be a field of continued interest and growth.
• the thermosphere, the ionosphere, and the magnetosphere. These domains derive many of their characteristics from the interplay of ionized plasmas and energetic charged particles with geomagnetic and geoelectric fields. The upper atmosphere, particularly the ionospheric portion of it, is the ultimate sink of solar wind energy that is transported into the magnetosphere. Energy dissipates in the ionosphere because of particle precipitation, which is the result in part of resonant wave-particle interactions, and because of the Joule heating that is a result of currents driven by electric fields.
• astronomy and astrophysical studies of the Universe, including solar astronomy and cosmic ray physics. Astrophysical studies are primarily conducted at South Pole station or on long-duration balloon flights launched from McMurdo.

Major goals are to sponsor research that requires or would benefit from the unique conditions of the Antarctic, to contribute to the understanding of the role of the Antarctic in global environmental change, to participate in interdisciplinary studies of the middle and upper atmosphere, and to improve understanding of the coupling of the Earth's polar atmosphere with the magnetosphere and of the ways in which both are affected by solar activity.

Biology and medicine

The goal of the Antarctic Biology and Medicine Program is to improve understanding of organisms and their interactions within the biosphere and geosphere. The program supports projects directed at all levels of biological organization from molecular, cellular, and organismal, to communities and ecosystems up to regional and global scales. Investigators are encouraged to develop and apply theory and innovative technologies to understand how organisms, including humans, adapt to and live in high latitude environments and how ecosystems may respond to global change. Particular emphases include:

• Marine ecosystems. Polar marine environments are characterized by complex interactions among biotic, chemical and physical processes, in areas that include the marginal ice-zone, continental shelves, polynyas, and open-ocean systems. Topics include interactions among trophic levels, factors influencing primary and secondary production, and the role of organisms in biogeochemical cycling. Remote sensing techniques, long-term observations, and modeling are appropriate tools to enhance this area of research.
• Terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Organisms in ice-free areas, in ephemeral streams and in perennially ice-covered lakes show remarkable persistence in the face of harsh conditions. Research on adaptive mechanisms, in the context of the present day hydrologic and biogeochemical environment, is encouraged. The McMurdo Dry Valleys of southern Victoria Land are of particular interest due to the large body of data available through ongoing research programs, but other locations can be proposed. Research in support of future field exploration of subglacial lakes is also considered.
• Population dynamics physiological ecology, and adaptation.The extremes of light, temperature, and moisture have resulted in unusual adaptations within organisms at all levels of organization. Research concerning metabolic, physiological, and behavioral adaptations of marine and terrestrial organisms, their population dynamics, and their diversity, is encouraged. Of special interest are processes occurring during the austral winter. Marine mammals and birds have been the object of much research and merit further attention in some areas. Long-term observations are also supported, with the goal of understanding the impact of environmental change on organismic and ecological processes.
• Genomics. "Genome-enabled" biology provides a foundation for understanding the genetic basis of how organisms function within their environment. The unusual Antarctic environment presents a compelling natural laboratory for the study of environmental genomics. A National Research Council report addresses some of these opportunities.
• Human behavior and medical research. Antarctica's extreme climate can provide social, psychological, and physiological challenges, particularly during the winter isolation, which can exceed 8 months. Research with applications to human health and performance both in the Antarctic and in other isolated environments such as space can be considered. Studies can focus on topics such as individual behavior, group dynamics, epidemiology, and thermal regulation. Investigators considering medical research involving human subjects should consult with Dr. Michael A. Montopoli, Section Head, Environment, Safety, and Head Section, OPP (ESH roster)

Geology and geophysics

Though currently covered by ice sheets, Antarctica is a geologically active and diverse continent with mountains, volcanoes, deserts, and some of the oldest continental crust on Earth. There is also unequivocal evidence that it was ice-free for most of the period after its arrival at a polar position over 100 million years ago. The Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program focuses on understanding this rich geologic history. Currently supported research addresses such diverse questions as:

• determining the tectonic evolution of Antarctica, from its central role in the breakup of the Gondwana supercontinent to the active deformation driving present-day volcanism, rifting, and orogenesis
• understanding how unique geologic processes occur, such as the formation of subglacial lakes or the aeolian sculpting of the Dry Valleys
• reconstructing the history of the ice sheets, especially the geologic controls on their formation and stability
• deciphering paleoenvironmental records to understand Antarctica’s role in global climate, ocean circulation, and the evolution of life

All of these problems require an improved understanding of Antarctica’s geology, including its crustal structure, and where, when, and how Antarctica and its surrounding ocean basins were accommodated by global tectonic patterns. The program therefore encourages any investigations of terrestrial and marine geology and geophysics, including the relationships between these fields and high-latitude biota. Currently funded research occurs in every sub-discipline of geology and geophysics; including field, laboratory, and theoretical work. Field projects cover every region of the continent, and international collaborations are supported and encouraged. Remote sensing also plays an important role, and researchers make use of both aerogeophysical and satellite-based techniques to understand the ice-sheet and crust beneath it. The program also plays a key role in planetary science. Antarctica is the best terrestrial analogue for processes occurring on Mars and the icy moons of the outer planets, as well as being a rich source of meteorites.

Ocean and climate systems

Antarctic oceanic and tropospheric studies focus on the structure and processes of the ocean-atmosphere environment and their relationships with the global ocean, the atmosphere, and the marine biosphere. As part of the global heat engine, the Antarctic has a major role in the world's transfer of energy. Its ocean/atmosphere system is known to be both an indicator and a component of climate change.

Research sponsored by the ocean and climate systems program is intended to improve understanding of the oceanic and atmospheric environment at high latitudes, including global exchange of heat, salt, water, and trace elements, sea-ice dynamics, and tropospheric chemistry and dynamics, through the analysis of both surface-based and satellite data. Major program elements include:

• Physical oceanography, concerned with understanding the dynamics and kinematics of the polar oceans, the effects of interface driving forces such as wind, solar radiation, and heat exchange, water mass production and modification processes, ocean dynamics at the pack ice edge, and the effect of polynyas on ventilation.
• Chemical oceanography, concerned with chemical composition of sea water and its global speciation, reactions among chemical elements and compounds in the ocean, fluxes of material within ocean basins and at their boundaries, and the use of chemical tracers to study time and space scales of oceanic processes.
• Sea ice dynamics, including study of the material characteristics of sea ice down to the individual crystal level and the large-scale patterns of freezing, deformation, and melting. These processes have implications for both atmospheric and oceanic "climates." Advances in instrumentation, including remote sensing or telemetering of ice type, thickness, motion, and growth, should enable large scale dynamics of sea ice to be monitored over long periods.
• Meteorology, concerned with atmospheric circulation systems and dynamics. Research areas include the energy budget; atmospheric chemistry; transport of atmospheric contaminants to the Antarctic; and the role of large and mesoscale systems in global exchange of heat, momentum, and trace constituents.

Glaciology

Snow and ice are pervasive elements of high latitude environmental systems and have an active role in the global environment. The glaciology program is concerned with the study of the history and dynamics of all naturally occurring forms of snow and glacial ice, including floating ice shelves, glaciers, and continental and marine ice sheets. Program emphases include paleoenvironments from ice cores, ice dynamics, numerical modeling, glacial geology, and remote sensing of ice sheets. Some specific objectives are:

• Correlation of climatic fluctuations evident in antarctic ice cores with data from arctic and lower-latitude ice cores, and integration of the ice record with the terrestrial and marine record.
• Documentation of the geographic extent of climatic events noted in paleoclimatic records; and the extension of the ice core time series to provide information on astronomical forcing of climate.
• Establishment of more precise dating methodologies for deep ice cores.
• Determination of the Cenozoic history of antarctic ice sheets and their interaction with global climate and uplift of the Transantarctic Mountains; response of the antarctic ice sheets to the Pliocene warming.
• Investigation of the physics of fast glacier flow with emphasis on processes at glacier beds.
• Investigation of ice-shelf stability.
• Identification and quantification of the feedback between ice dynamics and climate change.

Interdisciplinary Research

Environmental research

Environmental research is integrated into the disciplinary programs described above. An emphasis is research to help reduce the environmental impact of activities in Antarctica. Areas of inquiry might include effects of past practices, materials and waste management, current impacts, resilience of ecosystems, and promising technologies. The goal is to foster and maintain Antarctica's natural conditions while supporting the range of scientific research that can be done best in Antarctica.

In the U.S. Antarctic Program, NSF expects each year to fund approximately 100 new standard and continuing research grants (see definitions in chapter V.A. of the Grant Proposal Guide) with durations averaging 2 to 4 years depending on the quality of submissions and the availability of funds. In exceptional cases, awards for longer than 4 years may be considered if the justification and promise are compelling. Approximately $10 million per year may be available for new awards in FY 2007 through FY 2009. If the award is a continuing grant, additional amounts will be forthcoming in future fiscal years. In addition, and separate from these awards to organizations, field and laboratory support will be available in Antarctica for those projects for which field work has been proposed and approved. Anticipated date of awards: no earlier than October of the year in which the proposal is received.

In furtherance of the President's Management Agenda, in Fiscal Year 2006, NSF has identified programs that will offer proposers the option to utilize Grants.gov to prepare and submit proposals. Grants.gov provides a single Government-wide portal for finding and applying for Federal grants online.

Proposers may opt to submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov or via the NSF FastLane system.

• Proposals submitted via the FastLane system:

Proposals submitted in response to this Program Solicitation via FastLane should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete text of the GPG is available electronically on the NSF Website at: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=gpg. Paper copies of the GPG may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.

• Proposals submitted via Grants.gov:

Proposals submitted in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov. The complete text of the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at: (https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/docs/grantsgovguide.pdf). To obtain copies of the Application Guide and Application Forms Package, click on the Apply tab on the Grants.gov site, then click on the Apply Step 1: Download a Grant Application Package and Application Instructions link and enter the funding opportunity number, i.e., the Program Solicitation Number, and press the Download Package button. Paper copies of the Grants.gov Application Guide also may be obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (703) 292-7827 or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.

In determining which method to utilize in the electronic preparation and submission of the proposal, please note the following:

1. Collaborative Proposals. All collaborative proposals must be submitted via the NSF FastLane system. This includes collaborative proposals submitted:

• by one organization (and which includes one or more subawards); or
• as separate submissions from multiple organizations.

Proposers are advised that collaborative proposals submitted in response to this Program Solicitation via Grants.gov will be requested to be withdrawn and proposers will need to resubmit these proposals via the NSF FastLane system. (Chapter II, Section D.3 of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on collaborative proposals.)

2. All Other Types of Proposals That Contain Subawards. All other types of proposals that contain one or more subawards also must be submitted via the NSF Fastlane system. (Chapter II, Section C.2.g.(vi)(e) of the Grant Proposal Guide provides additional information on subawards.)

Antarctic research proposal preparation: Supplemental instructions

The following instructions supplement the Grant Proposal Guide and the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide guidelines.

Page limit:

Single-investigator or two-investigator proposals must not exceed 15 pages in the project description section (see Grant Proposal Guide or NSF Grants.gov Application Guide for details).

Proposals with 3 or more principal investigators may add one page to the project description section for each investigator beyond the first two principal investigators.

Proposals not following these instructions are subject to return without review:

Antarctic or Southern Ocean Proposals Involving No Fieldwork

FastLane proposals:

Proposers must complete the Worksheet for Proposals With No Fieldwork in Antarctica (https://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/antarct/nofldwrk.doc) and upload it as a Single Copy Document through FastLane. Proposals lacking this worksheet are subject to return without review.

Grants.gov proposals:

Proposers must complete the Worksheet for Proposals With No Fieldwork in Antarctica (https://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/antarct/nofldwrk.doc). When submitting through Grants.gov, the document in PDF format should be attached to the "National Science Foundation Grant Application Cover Sheet" at item 6, "Additional Single Copy Documents." Proposals lacking this worksheet are subject to return without review.

Antarctic or Southern Ocean Proposals Involving Fieldwork

Proposed fieldwork must be described in the proposal at a level of detail sufficient for merit review. The costs for field support in the Antarctic should not be itemized or included in the project budget spreadsheet because these costs will be identified through a separate operational review process. To determine field support needs, costs and feasibility, proposers must submit an Operational Requirements Worksheet (ORW) via Polar Ice (http://polarice.usap.gov/index.htm). This worksheet captures details about the field support requirements that may not be germane to merit review but are critical to feasibility analysis. Completing the ORW is substantial and must be done before the proposal is submitted. OPP recommends proposers start this process two weeks before final proposal submission. Proposals lacking these Operational Requirements Worksheets are subject to return without review. The following instructions describe the process:

FastLane proposals:

• Prepare, but do not yet submit, the proposal in FastLane.

• Log on to Polar Ice, and apply for a new account. You will be issued a password within one business day.

• Fill out the Operational Requirements Worksheets (ORW). Please note that if your proposal is recommended for an award, your ORW will be used to define your field program.

• Use Polar Ice to produce a PDF version of the completed ORW.

• Upload the ORW as a Single Copy Document through FastLane, and submit the proposal to NSF. Please note that reviewers will not have access to the ORW file, so fieldwork information required for merit review must be included in the proposal’s Project Description.

• Log back into Polar Ice and follow the instructions for providing the NSF proposal number.

Grants.gov proposals:

• Prepare, but do not yet submit, the proposal in Grants.gov.
• Log on to Polar Ice, and apply for a new account. You will be issued a password within one business day.
• Fill out the Operational Requirements Worksheets (ORW). Please note that if your proposal is recommended for an award, your ORW will be used to define your field program.
• Use Polar Ice to produce a PDF version of the completed ORW.
• Attach the ORW as a Single Copy Document to the "National Science Foundation Grant Application Cover Sheet" at item 6, "Additional Single Copy Documents" and submit the proposal. Please note that reviewers will not have access to the ORW file, so fieldwork information required for merit review must be included in the proposal’s Project Description.
• The proposer will receive a confirmation message from NSF within 60 hours of submission of the proposal via Grants.gov. When you have received your NSF proposal number, log back into Polar Ice and follow the instructions for providing the NSF proposal number.

Operational requirements worksheets -- Additional information

A researcher proposing field work in the Antarctic must prepare Operational Requirements Worksheets in Polar Ice, referenced in the above instructions.

The worksheets were devised by antarctic research-support specialists who have years of experience in helping investigators plan field work. Use the ones that are relevant to your needs and that, in your judgment, help to present your operational needs. If a worksheet is not germane to your work, don't complete it.

The U.S. Antarctic Program is committed to the principle that scientific needs should determine the research conducted in Antarctica, with logistics deriving from and supporting the research rather than dictating it. Prepare your proposal to NSF with the presumption that science can be supported operationally, even if it has not been done before.

To the extent that it is technologically and financially possible, this principle is reflected in the field program. However, at any given time some proposals -- highly meritorious scientifically -- are not feasible operationally. The antarctic support system and sometimes the proposed field research itself must be modified.

Prior discussion with a science program director in the Office of Polar Programs (703-292-8033) can help define research objectives that match the operational realities at any given time and will help NSF plan changes in operational support to meet research needs. For investigators who have not previously worked in Antarctica, contact with the Polar Research Support Section of the Office of Polar Programs (703-292-8032) during proposal preparation also can be helpful.

Operational capabilities of the U.S. Antarctic Program have evolved greatly in response to scientific requirements and will continue to do so, motivated primarily by dialog between the U.S. Antarctic Program staff and the research community.

Later, if the proposal appears likely to be approved, NSF's prime antarctic support contractor will solicit details formally by means of a Support Information Package -- a SIP -- that builds on the Operational Requirements Worksheets you submitted via Polar Ice. This action by the contractor does not constitute NSF approval, and you should not infer that an NSF award is necessarily forthcoming.

The Antarctic Conservation Act Application and Permit Form is on the NSF home page and is not a part of Polar Ice.

New investigators

If you have not performed research in Antarctica, the results of an NSF workshop for potential new investigators may be useful.

Environmental protection and waste management

You must convince the Foundation that your project, if approved, can be performed in compliance with antarctic environmental regulations. Operational Requirements Worksheets in Polar Ice will help you define your plans. Much of your conservation planning will involve common sense -- minimizing pollution, avoiding interference with animals -- but the regulations are complex, and you cannot rely on common sense unassisted. Failure to provide for conservation and waste management in your proposal could change the Foundation's decision from award to declination.

The summary of the Antarctic Conservation Act in this document should be enough information for most projects. However, do not hesitate to review the Antarctic Conservation Act book (NSF 01-151) to be sure you understand your responsibilities for environmental protection and waste management. Fill out the Environmental Assessment Questionnaire. If necessary, plan to fill out and submit an Antarctic Conservation Act permit application (discussed at the end of chapter II).

By attending to these matters in your planning you will enable NSF staff to start to plan support of these aspects in time to avoid delaying or interrupting your field work. Neither the planning nor the implementation need be overwhelming. NSF and investigators have learned that diligence at the proposal stage prevents headaches later.

Safety and health

A project that involves work in Antarctica must consider aspects of the research that may pose safety and health risks. Current U.S. Antarctic Program policies regarding safety and health are consistent with U.S. laws and regulations affecting research in the USA.

Office of Polar Programs safety and health specialists will review your proposal and operational requirements carefully. They have found that most proposed antarctic research can be carried out without undue risk. However, advance planning is essential, often in collaboration with the proposer. Your full and careful attention to safety and health aspects will help to make the planning efficient and effective. During review you may be asked for more information.

While USAP operates a comprehensive field safety program in Antarctica, this training is very general in nature and is not a substitute for specialized field safety training. If you are proposing to work in hazardous field locations, you may be required to modify your field personnel to include safety personnel such as a mountaineer or field safety guide.

Grants are made only if questions regarding a project's safety and health risks can be resolved.

The Office of Polar Programs has staff that are assigned full time responsibilities in safety and health. Please feel free to call or write them (see roster) during proposal preparation.

Underwater diving

The U.S. Antarctic Program supports a scientific diving program similar to those of institutional members of the American Academy of Underwater Science. Scientific divers are expected to comply with guidelines in the Antarctic Scientific Diving Manual (NSF 99-22), available from the support contractor's dive coordinator (800-688-8606). Funded researchers intending to conduct underwater diving in support of their research will be asked to document their dive plans and diver credentials (including polar diving experience). If the research team does not have accomplished scientific divers, the support contractor can provide a limited amount of such support.

If your proposed research involves underwater diving, check the appropriate box on the Safety, Environment, and Health worksheet in Polar Ice. If your proposal receives funding, you will be asked to complete worksheets detailing your diving plans and the credentials of your dive team for review and approval by NSF. Only approved dive plans and divers will be authorized to dive in Antarctica. Your organization's Diving Safety Officer must endorse your request to engage in scientific diving in Antarctica.

Radioactive materials and waste

If you wish to use radioactive materials (open or sealed sources) in Antarctica, you need to do so under your organization's radiation use license and with the approval of NSF. Budget for this in your proposal, buy the materials through your organization, and register as a radioisotope user with your radiation safety committee. You also must abide by any additional requirements imposed by NSF, in particular radioactive waste generation and packaging criteria for proper disposal of low-level radioactive waste generated during the research.

If your research involves use of radioactive materials in Antarctica (open or sealed sources), complete the Radioactive Materials worksheets in Polar Ice. Investigators who have completed that worksheet will receive an additional questionnaire, after the proposal has been funded, requesting details of their proposed radioisotope usage. Proposed use of radioisotopes needs to be consistent with your organizational license and NSF policies. Your Radiation Safety Officer will be required to endorse your use of radioisotopes in Antarctica.

Research ship EEZ clearances

Any research that is north of 60 S and involves work in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of another nation (typically within 200 nautical miles of the coast of that nation), including underway measurements such as collecting multibeam data, gravity data, or surface water samples, requires an appropriate research clearance from the nation involved.

Justify any EEZ work in the Operational Requirements Worksheets, and provide information needed for a permit application. NSF's prime antarctic contractor assists in the preparation of and provides to NSF the application for submittal to the Department of State, which must receive it no later than 6 months before the cruise.

Composition of field teams

Identify in your Operational Requirements Worksheets the number of people who will be involved in the prospective field project. Team members must be scientists, technicians, students, or others with experience or strong interests in the goals of the project, must be necessary to the completion of the project as described in the proposal, and must have a direct interest in its outcome. NSF may request institutional certification of the qualifications of team members, especially in unusual circumstances such as when family members are proposed as part of a field team.

Parties must have field safety expertise that is appropriate for the anticipated activities, conditions, and hazards. Examples of potentially hazardous situations include mountaineering, working in crevassed terrain, and working on sea ice. Investigators should consider augmenting their teams with persons experienced in field safety, particularly if the group is inexperienced in antarctic field work. Training of field party members in first aid is highly recommended. Feel free to consult with NSF (see roster) during proposal preparation.

Physical and psychological screening

Because medical facilities in Antarctica are not equipped to deal with all possible medical emergencies, and because immediate medical evacuation may be impossible, it is important that all persons deploying to Antarctica be in good health. Before deploying, participants must meet physical and dental health criteria established for the program. Candidates for work during the austral winter isolation also must pass a psychological screening.

Prospective travelers to the Antarctic with the U.S. Antarctic Program will be provided medical and dental examination forms by the antarctic support contractor. Travelers are responsible for completing their physical and dental examinations and sending the completed forms to the support contractor. Candidates for the winter isolation period will be provided instructions for the psychological screening.

PROPOSAL DOs AND DON'Ts

A proposal must convince skeptics (reviewers, panelists, NSF) that the public good will be served by giving you public money. Suggestions:

Do read and follow this solicitation and the Grant Proposal Guide or NSF Grants.gov Application Guide.

Do keep text short.

Do state the problem, the plan, and the anticipated results. Answer the "so what?" and "why do this?" questions early.

Do give credit where credit is due; cite your colleagues' work (include titles) where appropriate.

Do give research results from your one previous NSF grant most closely related to the new proposal.

Do check and review the proposal with a colleague. Reviewers may equate error with sloppy research.

Do put the number of this program solicitation in the top line of the proposal cover sheet.

Don't assume that everyone reviewing your proposal is expert in all aspects of your research. Some reviewers may be chosen for their knowledge of just part of the proposal.

Don't leave out vitae of major investigators, budget explanation, other-grant-support list, etc.

Don't forget the no-fieldwork worksheet if you're not proposing fieldwork.

Don't forget the Polar Ice Operational Requirements Worksheets if you're proposing fieldwork. In FastLane, these should be uploaded as a "single-copy document." In the Grants.gov application, these should also be attached as a "single-copy document" at item 6 of the "National Science Foundation Grant Application Cover Sheet."

Don't forget to give your NSF proposal number to Polar Ice if you're proposing fieldwork.

Don't forget to apply to NSF for an Antarctic Conservation Act permit if needed.

Don't inflate the budget.

June 07, 2006

To provide time for proposal review and for operational planning, proposals normally will be considered for field work beginning no sooner than a year later. Properly prepared proposals received by the first Wednesday of June in a given year and approved for award typically will be provided funds for performance periods as follows:

• for research in Antarctica: the austral summer beginning approximately 15 months later and extending through the next winter
• for research in the United States: starting as early as 6 months following receipt of your proposal

Complicated projects, or those requiring lots of equipment in Antarctica, could require more lead time. Projects that are easily fielded may be able to deploy more quickly than the schedule suggests, and NSF strives to make that happen. The rule of thumb, however, is that it takes 15 to 18 months to get ready for field work, and attempts to beat that schedule introduce uncertainties.